How will official elimination from playoffs affect Cowboys vs. motivated Chargers?

When they kick off Sunday at AT&T Stadium, the Los Angeles Chargers will be playing with plenty of motivation, against a team just hours from officially being eliminated from the playoffs.

With the Philadelphia Eagles' victory over a grossly undermanned Washington Commanders team Saturday night, they captured the NFC East title and in the process eliminated the Dallas Cowboys from the division and also any NFC Wild Card hopes. The Cowboys are 6-7-1, and in the NFC there are already three teams with nine or more wins.

MORE: Dak Prescott reveals unmotivated Cowboys' mindset against playoff-bound Chargers

The elimination puts into question the Cowboys' mindset and motivation for the game against the Bolts. Quarterback Dak Prescott has said all the right things all week about putting out his best effort and respecting the game. And owner Jerry Jones promised to "throw the kitchen sink" at the Chargers. But surely the sting of being eliminated and having nothing to play for will be a factor.

The Chargers, meanwhile, have everything in front of them. At 10-4, they are only two games behind the Denver Broncos in the AFC West and they are protecting a one-game lead over the surging Buffalo Bills in the race to be the highest-seeded Wild Card.

MORE: Chargers open as shocking Week 16 underdogs against lame-duck Cowboys

Justin Herbert and the Chargers' offense should plenty of room and produce plenty of points against one of the worst defenses in the NFL. They have coughed up 78 points the last two weeks. Their defense is ranked 29th and has surrendered 46 touchdowns, second-most in the league.

We've seen how well the Chargers have played the last two weeks against desperate teams - with wins over the Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs. On Sunday we'll see how they fare against a lame-duck team with nothing to play for but pride.

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